Thursday, September 3, 2009

Recorder makes family tree research easier

This week, Deborah Hall Clepper, who became recorder in January, asked officials in the county's 14 townships, 11 villages and various private cemeteries to provide copies of burial records and maps.

Clepper also hopes to soon make available public field notes, drawings and bearings of surveys for township, village and private projects. She agreed to accept copies of such private records, made by retired or deceased surveyors, from the Southwestern Chapter of the Professional Land Surveyors of Ohio.

That could make the recorder's office a central location for researchers.

"This office has so much to offer," Clepper said. "We're real excited to be able to work with the different historians (and) genealogy societies."

While the recorder is supposed to maintain public documents, Clepper's office at 101 E. Main St. in Batavia is doing more than required by law.

"We love them for it," said Pam Smith, a trustee of the Clermont County Genealogical Society.